The New York Jets would be wise to stack the deck on offense ahead of quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ return in 2024. The Jets have strong No. 1 options at receiver with Garrett Wilson and running back with breakout performer Breece Hall. However, the depth chart behind both is slightly scant.
Jets: Could former Aaron Rodgers teammate AJ Dillon improve the backfield in 2024?
In comes AJ Dillon. The ball-carrier played with Rodgers for three seasons as a member of the Green Bay Packers.
Now, the former 2020 second-round pick could find himself receiving hand-offs from the four-time league MVP once more. Sanjesh Singh of NBC 4 New York made the case for the Jets giving Rodgers a familiar face in the backfield.
“The Jets could add a stronger RB2 to complement Breece Hall, who nearly cracked 1,000 rushing yards as a sophomore, after the Dalvin Cook experiment clearly didn’t pan out,” Singh said. “Dillon, who will be 26 in 2024, makes sense as a former Packer who brings more power running to the fold.”
Dillon saw a career-high 11.9 rushing attempts per game behind Packers starter Aaron Jones in 2023. He capitalized on all of his offensive looks, accumulating 836 total yards of offense as a dual-threat in the passing game as well.
Dalvin Cook’s departure leaves the door open for a Rodgers-Dillon reunion
While Hall handled his business for the Jets’ rushing unit, there is an empty slot for Dillon with the offseason departure of backup RB Dalvin Cook on Jan. 2.
The Jets went 4-0 when they gained 110 or more yards on the ground in a game. Dillon’s ball-carrying skills and ability to make defensive lines work on the outside would give the Jets a solid option and a familiar talent for Rodgers to utilize in 2024.